The present invention relates to the field of roofing safety devices, and more particularly, to an improved roof jack system that provides a safety barrier that is easily and conveniently installed upon and removed from a pitched roof.
In the prior art, it is known for roofers to use a conventional roof jack system on pitched roofs to assist roofers in standing on the pitched roof during installation of a new roof, and to provide a relatively horizontal platform for holding roofing supplies, such as bundles of shingles, on the pitched roof prior to installing same. A conventional roof jack system for this purpose comprises two or more roof jacks of known construction placed on the pitched roof at substantially the same vertical height, in horizontally spaced relation one from the other, and a platform member, such as a plank, horizontally extending therebetween. Each roof jack has an elongate base member which, in use, is positionable on the pitched roof in parallel relation to the slope thereof, which base member is rigidly, releasably connectable adjacent its upper end portion to the pitched roof by means of nails or the like protruding from the roof, which nails engage open-ended slots, or other openings, in the upper end portion of the base member. A riser member is rigidly connected to a lower portion of the base member, and extends upwardly and outwardly therefrom, in substantially transverse relation to the base member (and to the roof surface). The riser member terminates in an upper extent, which upper extent has mounted thereon a stop member. The stop member extends from the upper extent of the riser member in a substantially vertically directed manner to a free end. A support member is rigidly attached to and extends substantially horizontally between an intermediate portion of the base member and the upper extent of the riser member. In use, the plank is placed between the plurality of roof jacks, so as to extend between and rest atop the support member of each roof jack in substantially parallel relation to the support members. The plank has a lateral dimension (i.e., width) selected to provide for releasable, frictional containment of the plank between the stop member and the base member of each roof jack, which containment prevents lateral horizontal sliding of the plank relative to the support members.
Such prior art roof jack systems have gained widespread acceptance, as they are relatively easy and economical to manufacture, and are easy to assemble and to disassemble upon a pitched roof. Moreover, such prior art roof jack systems are relatively lightweight and robust, making them easy to transport between job sites and difficult to damage in use and in transport.
While the use of such prior art roof jack systems has gained widespread acceptance, and while such use affords a safety advantage to roofers shingling a pitched roof by providing a more secure footing on such a roof for carrying out this dangerous task, it falls short in failing to provide a safety barrier for roofers to fall against or to grab in the event that they should lose their balance or footing while on the roof. Moreover, such a prior art roof jack system fails to provide a debris barrier for blocking or deflecting debris that may slide down the roof during stripping of old roofing materials or during the reshingling operation.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a roof jack system that features all of the utility present in prior art roof jack system as described herein, but which is also capable of providing for the releasable mounting of a safety barrier for roofers to fall against or to grab in the event that they should lose their balance or footing while on the roof, thus preventing such roofers from falling to the ground with consequent injury or death.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a roof jack system that accommodates the releasable mounting of an auxiliary debris barrier for the blocking or deflecting of debris that may accidentally slide down the roof during stripping of old roofing materials or during the reshingling operation, thereby to prevent injury or damage to persons or property adjacent to the job site.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a roof jack system that is suitable for use in conjunction with prior art roof jacks of the general type herein described, thereby allowing users of such prior art systems to readily realize the safety advantages of the present invention whilst minimizing the inertia to change that might otherwise be entailed in having long-time users of such prior art systems adapt to the use of a system that appears, at first blush, to have little or no similarity to the systems of their experience.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a roof jack system that can be used in conjunction with prior art roof jacks of the general type herein described, thereby allowing existing owners of such prior art roof jacks to realize the benefits of the present invention without having to discard or otherwise discontinue use of their previously purchased roof jacks.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a roof jack system that is relatively easy to transport up and down a ladder in disassembled form by a single person, and that is relatively easy to assemble once lifted onto the pitched roof, and to disassemble after use.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide, in an alternate embodiment, a roof jack system according to the present invention that does not require the use of prior art roof jacks. Rather, in such alternate embodiment, the use of conventional roof jacks is avoided by modifications to several of the components disclosed in relation to the first embodiment of the invention, thus obviating the need to separately purchase for use prior art roof jacks of the general type disclosed herein.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is disclosed an improved roof jack system for use with prior art roof jacks having a first plurality of roof jacks placed on a pitched roof at substantially the same vertical height, in horizontally spaced relation one from the other, and a platform member, such as a plank, horizontally extending therebetween. Each roof jack of a prior art system has an elongated base member which, in use, is positionable on the pitched roof in parallel relation to the slope thereof, which base member is rigidly, releasably connectable adjacent its upper end portion to the pitched roof by means of nails or the like protruding from the roof, which nails engage open-ended slots, or other openings, in the upper end portion of the base member. A riser member is rigidly connected to a lower end portion of the base member, and extends upwardly and outwardly therefrom, in substantially transverse relation to the base member (and to the roof surface). The riser member terminates in an upper extent, which upper extent has mounted thereon a stop member. The stop member extends from the upper extent of the riser member in a substantially vertically directed manner to a free end. A support member is rigidly attached to and extends substantially horizontally between an intermediate portion of the base member and the upper extent of the riser member. In use, the plank is placed between the first plurality of roof jacks, so as to extend between and rest atop the support member of each roof jack of the first plurality in substantially parallel relation to the support members of each roof jack. The plank has a lateral dimension (i.e., width) selected to provide for releasable, frictional containment of the plank between the stop member and the base member of each roof jack, which containment prevents lateral horizontal sliding of the plank relative to the support members.
The improved roof jack system of the present invention comprises a barrier member having a guard assembly that is releasable connected with each of the prior art roof jacks, such that the guard assembly is operatively positioned, in use, above the level of the plank to prevent a roofer from falling past the guard assembly in the event of losing his/her footing on the plank.
In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, the barrier member comprises a guard assembly having at least two parallel vertical support posts rigidly connected to one another by one or more horizontal transverse rails. The barrier member further comprises at least two auxiliary support assemblies, each auxiliary support assembly comprising a main body having defined therewithin a substantially upwardly-opening channel, said channel being, in use, positioned for releasably constrained receipt of a riser member of a respective one of the roof jacks. Each auxiliary support assembly also comprising a substantially planar base plate rigidly connected adjacent a lower end of the main body. In use, the base plate is frictionally constrained between and by the base member of said respective one of the roof jacks and the roof. A brace member rigidly extends across the top of said upwardly opening channel in displaced relation from the lower end of each main body, which brace portion is, in use, in encircling receipt of the stop member of a respective one of the first plurality of roof jacks. A respective pin operatively rigidly extends from the upper end of the main body for operative connection with sockets of the vertical support posts. Each pin is dimensioned and otherwise adapted for releasable, interfitting frictional engagement within the socket.
In accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, conventional roof jacks are not required, as the functional features of conventional roof jacks, and of the barrier member, are combined in a modified form of a non-conventional roof jack, thereby eliminating the need for conventional roof jacks.
Other advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention, as well as methods of operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the latter of which are briefly described hereinbelow.